Refrigerating apparatus



Oct. 25, 1932. H. B. HULL 1,883,923

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Original Filed Oct. 31, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 5s 54 as v Oct. 25, 1932. H. B. HULL 1,883,923

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Original Filed Oct. 31, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I I I l l l l I I I I I l l l l l l I I l l l l I i i l I I l l I l I l I I I I I i I I M (3- MINVENTOR Patented Oct. 25, 1932 UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE HARRY IB. HULL, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO FRIGIDAIRE CORPORATION, OF

DAYTON, OHIO, A. CORPORATION OF DELAWARE REFRIGERATING AE'PARATUS Application filed October 31, 1928, Serial No. 316,255. Renewed June 4, 1932.

This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus particularly to compressors and driving means therefor.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved means for reducing the noise incident to the operation of apparatus of this type.

More specifically it is an object of the 1nvention to inclose the noisy parts of a refrigerating apparatus in a sound absorbing housing and to provide an improved means for dissipating the heat generated within the housing.

Another object of the invention is to provide sound absorbing means of a character indicated which is readily removable from the refrigerating apparatus to permit inspection and adjustment.

More specifically it is an object of the invention to provide a heat transmitting member including a quantity of volatile liquid for conducting the heat from within the housing to the outside atmosphere.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sound absorbing housing for inclosing the noisy parts of a refrigerating apparatus and to facilitate cooling the entire apparatu by exposing to the atmosphere heat generating parts which do not make noise.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a horizontal section of a refrigerating apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1: and Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings designates any suitable base upon which is mounted a compressor 11 and a motor 12 which drives the compressor, for example through a belt 13 and pulley wheels 14 and 15. Connected to the compressor is a condenser 18 which receives compressed gaseous refrigerant from the compressor, cools and liquefies the refrigerant and discharges the refrigerant to a receiver or reservoir 19. If desired, for the sake of convenience, the receiver may be mounted on a pair of brackets 20 supported in the base 10. The brackets 20 also support a housing 22 containing a switch for controlling the motor. Since the motor, compressor and switch are the parts of the apparatus which make noise in operation, I propose to avoid annoyance by preventing such noise 69 from being transmitted beyond the apparatus itself. This may be accomplished by completely inclosing the noisy parts of the apparatus in a housing which prevents the transmission of sound from the apparatus to distant points. As shown in the drawings this housing may include a base 25 upon which the apparatus is supported, and a housing proper consisting of side walls 26 and a cover 27. The base and housing may 7 be made of any suitable material, preferably some material which absorbs sound waves and prevents the transmission of sound through the housing.

Since the motor, compressor and condenser all generate heat during operation and since this heat must be removed, I provide means for dissipating in the outside atmosphere the heat generated. Since the condenser does not make noise this may be placed outside of the housing where it is cooled by contact with the atmosphere, which cooling may be enhanced by circulating air over the condenser in any desired manner.

One wall of the housing includes heat transmitting member means for conducting heat from the inside to the outside of the housing. For the sake of example, this is shown as including a wall 30 formed of heat conducting material, for example copper, and having attached to its insideand outside surfaces fins for the transmission and dissipating of heat generated within the housing. I provide means for circulating the air confined over the motor and condenser and in contact with the heat transmitting wall 30. Since the air in horizontal currents within the housing. W3

If desired, a baflie 32 may be placed adjacent for directing the circulation ,along the inside of the wall 30. Fins 33 project in the path of the circulating air and absorb heat from it. These fins are preferably horizontal in order to have the maximum surface exposed to air currents on the inside of the wall. Fins 34 dissipate to the outside atmosphere the heat absorbed bythe fins 33. The outside fins are preferably arranged in a vertical position to induce the maximum currents and thus produce the maximum cooling.

In order to increase the heat transmitting capacity of the wall it may be made hollow to form a container having a well portion 35 adjacent the fan and partly filledwith-aliquid which evaporates at a temperature lower than the maximum permissible operating temperature of the compressor and motor. Liquids suitable for this purpose are diethyl ether, which boils at 95 F., pentane which boils at 98 F., and isopentane which boils at 88 F. The hollow wall 30 also includes a vapor or gas portion 38 above the well portion 35 provided with the fins 34. The heated air within the housing is directed against the well portion 35. The heat is absorbed by the volatile liquid causing the liquid to vaporize and pass to the vapor portion 38 where it is cooled by the environment air, through the air of fins 34, condenses and then falls to the well portion 35.

Since the motor, compressor and switch may need periodic inspection and adjustment the walls 26 and 30 and cover 27 are preferably formed as one structure which is removably supported on the base 25. It may be held in place on the base by ledges 41. The connections between the condenser outside of the housing and the compressor and receiver inside of the housing, as well as the intake 36 of the compressor and the discharge line 37 of the receiver are disposed close to the base 25 and pass through slots 39 in the walls of the housing. I prefer to hermetically seal the interior of the housing in order to prevent transmission of sound from the interior thereof. Therefore the joint at the housing and base 25 is sealed in any suitable manner, as for example, by flexible sealing means such as the strip 42 under wall 50 and the grooved strip 43 under the other walls. These sealing strips may be soft rubber, which fit tightly in a groove in the base 25 and the grooved part of strip 43 snugly embracing the lower ends of the walls. Suitable openings are provided in the grooved strip 43 through which the pipes extend and it may he slipped upwardly from the openings, if desired, so as to permit removal of the pipes.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be'understod that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows: 1. Refrigerating apparatus comprlsing a compressor, means for driving the compressor, a housing completely inclosing the compressor and driving means, a condenser outside the housing connected to the compressor, and heat exchange means associated with the housing for conducting through the housing and dissipating in the outside atmosphere heat generated in the housing, said housing being removable without disturbing the connections between the compressor an condenser, and means for circulating the air confined in the housing over said compressor, driving means and heat exchange means.

3. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a compressor, means for driving the compressor, a housing completely inclosing the compressor and driving means, said housing including a wall, means for circulating the air contained within the housing over said compressor and driving means and in contact with said wall, heat conductin fins secured to the inside of the wall for a sorbing heat from said air and heat conducting fins se cured to the outside of said wallfor dissipating said heat in the atmosphere.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3 in which the fins on the inside of the wall are horizontal and the fins on the outside of the walls are vertical.

5. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a compressor, means for driving the compressor, a housin completely inclosing the compressor and riving means, said housing including a hollow wall of heat conducting maflerial and volatile liquid in said hollow wa 6. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a compressor, means for driving the compressor, a housing completely inclosing the compressor and driving means, heat exchange means associated with the housing for conveying to the outside atmosphere heat generated within the housing, said heat exchange means including a confined body of volatile liquid.

7. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a compressor, means for driving the compressor, a housing completely inclosing the compressor and driving means, said housing including a container of volatile liquid, means pressor and driving means, said housing infor transmitting heat generated within the housing to said volatile liquid to evaporate the liquid and means for dissipating the latent heat of vaporization in the atmosphere to condense the liquid.

8. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a compressor, means for driving the compressor, a housing completely inclosing the comcluding acontainer of volatile liquid, means within the housing for circulating the air confined therein, horizontal fins disposed in the path of circulating air and thermally associated with said container, and vertical fins thermally associated with said container disposed in the atmosphere outside the housm n testimony whereof I hereto aflix my signature.

HARRY B. HULL. 

